Past Events

Back by Popular Demand: A Tour of the Ft. Canning Ceramic Exhibition on 24 September

We were so sorry to disappoint our many members who didn't make the previous tour of the Ft.Canning Ceramic Exhibition so beautifully curated and presented by The Society for Chinese Ceramics Studies, that we are offering our members & their families a second chance to tour the exhibition on Sunday afternoon, September 24 at 3:00 pm. Sign up a.s.a.p. to avoid being disappointed again! More details follow....

Sept. 2-3: Members’ Ceramic Sale!

Wondering why there's no usual August event, it's because we've been busy preparing for our annual 'Members Ceramic Sale'!

A Zoom Presentation Live from Singapore’s Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC)

Learn how some 65,000 ceramics in Singapore's National Collection are managed and cared for at the HCC. Join us online to gain insight on the journey that newly acquired ceramics go through when they enter the National Collection – from accessioning, to storage, to being conserved and prepared for display.

Belitung: The Afterlives of a Shipwreck

The Tang Dynasty-era shipwreck continues to be the centre of attention. In this talk, author Dr. Natali Pearson will focus on the new knowledge it has bought to the surface about the maritime silk road as well as the controversies that have accompanied the ship and its cargo's discovery and display. She will be followed by a presentation by Tim Winter and a discussion moderated by the Society's president, Kwa Chong Guan.

Leaping the Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of Seventeenth-Century Chinese Porcelain

Dr. Teresa Canepa introduced the most important collection of seventeenth-century Chinese porcelain in the world, assembled by the distinguished British diplomat Sir Michael Butler (1927–2013). Butler’s lavish collection covers most types of porcelain produced at Jingdezhen, in Jiangxi Province, during the seventeenth century known as the ‘Transitional Period’ between the ceasing of production of the Imperial kilns in 1608 to the reinstatement of Imperial supervisors in 1683.

Peter Lam on Kitchen Ch’ing Porcelain – The William Willetts Lecture 2023

Virtual Event Virtual Event

SEACS members and their guests attended this long-awaited talk by ceramics expert Peter Lam on 'Kitchen Ch'ing porcelain made in Hong Kong'. Professor Lam introduced the 'Kitchen Ch'ing' blue and white kiln site in Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong focusing on its dating, type-forms and context comparing it to similar items found from SEA shipwrecks and sites that were familiar to many SEACS members, and providing references for newcomers to the topic of 'Kitchen Ch'ing' ceramics.

Chinese Exported Ware: A Fragment Reminder of Muslim Merchants’ Influence in Late Ayutthaya

Pim Bisalputra and Jeffery Sng explained how a type of seventeenth-century CE Chinese export ware to Southeast Asia casts new light on external influences in Siamese court culture. The motifs and patterns in some examples mark a departure from earlier wares embodying strong Chinese characteristics. The appearance of atypical patterns, such as Buddhist symbols and motifs, together with Islamic and Indo-Persian stylistic influence is puzzling. This talk argued that such Chinese export ware represents early made-to-order porcelain by the Buddhist Siamese court of Ayutthaya, and may help collectors who stumble upon such pieces in museums or collections, understand their origins.

In Praise of Teapots

SEACS Councillor and long-time collector Tim Clark covered the origin and development of the teapot in China. Once the dedicated function of this pouring vessel was established, the potters of Yixing unleashed their creativity in expressing its myriad forms. This led to a beautiful marriage of form and function which inspired potters in England to make their own impact on this art form. Several beautiful examples were showcased in this fascinating talk on one of the most popular forms collectors delight in.

Later Japanese Ceramics in Southeast Asia

Jaap Otte, a native of the Netherlands, presented findings of his ongoing study of Japanese ceramics exported to Southeast Asia, primarily from Indonesia, from the 19th to the first half of the 20th century, which included architecturally-used ceramics, excavated material and contemporary written sources. His presentation included the following wares: stoneware “bartmann” jugs; water storage jars from Hizen(?); Nagasaki ware bottles; Arita porcelain; Awaji ware; and industrial earthenware and porcelain.

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